For those Internet users based in Turkey wishing to access any WordPress (WP) blog a useful workaround has appeared. The mysterious and bilingual GreatFirewallofTurkey.com has set up a proxy service to enable WP visitors to bypass the block. All the visitor has to do is replace the word “press” with the word “prexy.” For example, “istanbuldespatch.wordpress.com” becomes “istanbuldespatch.wordprexy.com.” The only difference visually is that a “wordprexy” logo appears in the top right hand corner of the screen, linking to the Great Firewall site, where an explanation is at hand on what they’ve done:
“We like WordPress. We use WordPress. We support WordPress. We wouldn’t want to hurt the Automattic, Inc. guys, or their users and customers. And that is why we set up WordPrexy.com, because we don’t want WordPress to get hurt by our crooked legal system. If WordPress gets back online in Turkey, we’re out.”
With the last line saying it all for me, I’m confident that their intentions are in the right place. Their disclaimer explains the techy bit:
“WordPrexy is a WordPress-specific proxy server. It only mirrors the content; it does neither copy nor host any of the actual content found on WordPress.com. WordPrexy.com is not responsible from the material and content found in it’s sites and cannot be held liable for them.”
…and as they stress at the top of their page, “plagiarism is NOT what we do at WordPrexy.com.” So as an easier means of checking WP blogs in Turkey rather than firing up painfully slow and possibly illegal software, or the even more cumbersome finding of alternative IP addresses to punch into the preferences of your browser, I’d give it the thumbs up for its guerilla attitude and as a temporary solution.
There did appear to be a lot of angry debate below their explanation page on the sticking point of having AdSense ads on their site — which many disagreed with being present alongside the non-profit making clause of the Creative Commons license inherent in WP blogs — but with WP boss Matt weighing into the debate somewhere down the page, the Ads have since been removed.
I hasten to add though, for WP bloggers in Turkey, you cannot log in to the dashboard through this method. I’ve tried. (Which is probably best, my technical intuition tells me.) So its purely for reading and posting comments to a WP blog. That said, I have only one remaining nagging doubt. Does a comment posted to the “wordprexy” version appear on the “wordpress” version? I’m sure it does, but I’ll test it below anyway.
Any WP bloggers anywhere at odds with this method can contact the GFOT guys to have their specific blog removed from the “wordprexy” list. The contact link is on their explanation page, “What we are, and what we are not.”
8 responses so far ↓
Jim // September 22, 2007 at 4:17 pm |
Testcommentvia”prexy.”
Jim // September 22, 2007 at 4:30 pm |
Yup, it works. Mind you, that wasn’t how I typed it. All the spaces are missing between the words. Bulent, you out there my friend? Any ideas/explanations? Perhaps it’s better to double-space between the words. Will try some other time, unless someone would like to indulge?
gro.tiiy // September 22, 2007 at 6:07 pm |
hi,
thereisanextensionforfirefoxthatchangeseveryinstanceofwordpress.comtowordprexy.com.youcanvisitwordpress.comblogswithoutanychangesmadeintheadressbar.
youcaninstallithere:
http://www.wordprexy.com/eklenti.html
Simon Templar // September 23, 2007 at 5:27 am |
Thanks a lot for letting us know.
And you had an accurate summary of the situation in the fewest words in the post right below.
Jim // September 23, 2007 at 9:42 am |
You’re welcome Simon. There still doesn’t seem to be a solution to the loss of spaces between words when posting comments via “prexy.” Double-spacing doesn’t work as I tried it on another WP blog. I’ll check that extension recommended in the post above to see if it’s any help.
As for the “accurate summary… in the post right below,” I presume you’re talking of the “YouTube blocked again” post. Or, more particularly, the last paragraph about some of us Turkey-based bloggers remaining more critical. On that score I’ve been hard at work in the research department. Drop by again for my next post on it (or I’ll try to remember to let you know).
Great moniker by the way. I hope you’re named after the old TV series, The Saint, as opposed to the movie remake jobbie. I loved that series as a kid. (Showing my age, no doubt!)
Jim // September 23, 2007 at 10:49 am |
Update: They fixed the word space problem. (This is coming via use of “prexy” in the URL.)
podo // October 5, 2007 at 10:41 pm |
prexy? proxy?
Bekir L. Yildirim // November 9, 2007 at 6:38 pm |
Hi Jim. It seems like a new verdict by the same court (based on a compaint filed by one of the “unintended victims” like I) decrees that only the “offending blogs” will be blocked. (to which I say “good morning dudes! Where was your mind since it apparently was technically poassible to block individial blogs at the first instance). But for me it was too little too late. I already lost most of the redership first, then inspiration to write. When it comes back, I am contemplating moving into two independent sites , one in Turkish and another English. Thank you for your sensitivity to the matter from a freedom of speech perspective. Hope the response this generated will make the future “dumb and dumbers” , i.e. thought police and the judiciary think twice befor engaging in such stupdity.